The Boot Room Chronicles
by Ashleigh Crawley
Summary: My Baxley series, The Boot Room Chronicles. Baxter pulls Molesley into the boot room for a little chat and things progress quickly. T to be safe. Also, ha, my Baxley series is the first one. I think there are a few one-shots, but no series for Baxley.
1. Chapter 1

**PART ONE**

**Author's Note: Okay, I ship Baxley and this is a Baxley fic. I just want Molesley to be happy. Is that too much to ask of Julian Fellowes? Well, is it?**

It wasn't a new thing for the staff of Downton Abbey to be found talking to each other, and the privacy the boot room offered was superb. But when Baxter asked Molesley if she could have a word with him in the privacy of the boot room, he wasn't expecting it at all. He followed her into the room and she shut the door.

"So, Mr Molesley," she said. "After all that happened at the bazaar between the two of us, I thought that you might have taken a fancy to me. Perhaps though, I was wrong. You seem to be ignoring me."

"Not on purpose," he said. "Certainly not, but Jimmy has begun to say things that aren't too nice about the whole thing. Mr. Barrow too, for that matter. And, to be quite honest, I have taken a liking to you."

"What have they been saying?" she asked, fearing the worst. "They can't know anything about me before I came here, I've said nothing. Except to you, and even then, that wasn't much."

"They've been saying that I'm after you and that I fancy you and everything else. They're also saying that you like me," he said. "I don't believe it, I've never been lucky when it comes to women, so why would that change?"

"I do though, that's why I'm upset that you've been ignoring me," she said. "I haven't been lucky when it comes to men either. I wish I could just erase my whole past."

"Would you ever talk to me about it?" he asked. "Because I do care and I want to know. I'm not going to risk our friendship and force it out of you, but I would like to help."

Baxter smiled at him lightly and moved a bit closer to him. "I know you would. Maybe at some time, I will. Once we know each other better. Once we've spent more time together. Because, I want you to know, more than any one. I trust you and I like you quite a bit as well."

Molesley smiled back at her and reached out to touch her hand. Baxter responded by gripping his hand tighter and moving towards him even more. She looked up into his eyes and smiled. "You're more lucky than I have ever been in my life, but with you, I feel like I can be lucky. It feels possible. You make me happy."

Molesley looked down at her, smiling, before kissing her lips gently. Baxter smiled against his lips and trailed her hand up his arm before wrapping her arms around his neck. Molesley broke the kiss after a moment. "How was I?" he asked.

"What do you mean?" Baxter asked, her eyes still shut and her lips parted.

"That kiss. Was I any good?" he asked, nervously. He had never kissed or been kissed before, but he didn't want to admit that to her. He liked her and didn't want to seem like such a loser.

"You were wonderful. I haven't been kissed like that before," she said. "Mind you, I haven't been kissed that much before."

"How is that possible?" he asked. "I'd kiss you all the time if I had the opportunity."

"Then do it," she replied in a whisper. "Kiss me again, to show me how you feel."

Molesley paused for a moment before pressing his lips to her's again. Baxter opened her mouth, telling him it was alright to bring his tongue into the equation, making him even more nervous. What if he messed up? Would she hate him and never want to hide away in the boot room with him again? He nervously slipped his tongue into her mouth where her's met his, sending a jolt of electricity through him. He broke the kiss a moment or so later, after allowing their tongue to dance around each other. "I think I love you, Miss Baxter," he whispered, pressing his forehead against her neck.

Baxter smiled lightly and brought her hand up again to run her fingers through his hair. "I know that I love you," she whispered back at him. "Because I have never felt this way about anyone before. And I'm pleased that I love you."

"Really?" he asked, moving his head to look into her eyes.

"Yes, I do," she replied, keeping her fingers in his hair, before pulling him towards her and kissing him with more passion than she had ever kissed with before. Molesley moved the two of them so that Baxter's back was against the table in the centre of the room before he began to let his hands move. His hands ended up on her waist, while her's were on his chest when the door suddenly opened, making them fly apart.

"What's going on?" Jimmy asked from the doorway. "Am I interrupting something?"

"Yes," Baxter snapped, tears forming in her eyes. "You actually were. Please leave, or tell us what you want."

"I need a boot rag," he replied. Baxter turned around, and picked up a boot rag from the table. She threw it at Jimmy and he shut the door and retreated.

"I am so sorry," Molesley said, touching her cheek softly. "Miss Baxter, please forgive me."

"It wasn't your fault," she said, looking up into his eyes and beginning to smile. "And I think now you can call my Phyllis."

"And, if you want, you can call me Joseph," he replied, smiling lightly before kissing her again.


	2. Chapter 2

**PART TWO**

**Author's Note: Thank you for all the positive feedback on part one, it means a lot to me guys. Thankyouthankyouthankyou! I wasn't expecting this good of a response from my silly little what-not. And before I get reviews saying that I made Baxter's past so horrible and it's certainly not that bad, I know. But she must have a bad backstory and Julian Fellowes isn't telling us what it is. **

Phyllis smiled as she pulled Joseph into the Boot Room once again. She shut the door behind him and she kissed him soundly. "Phyllis," he muttered against her lips. "I was not expecting that."

"Why not?" she asked. "Did you not like it?" The fear that Joseph hadn't liked her kiss was so great that Phyllis felt she would cry unless he said something.

"Of course I liked it, your kissing is always marvellous, but I just wasn't expecting it. Lord and Lady Grantham are in the library waiting for their tea," he replied, pulling her closer to him. "But I suppose they can find ways to occupy themselves in the library until you and I part ways."

"They'll have a lot of waiting time then," she whispered, putting her arms around his neck. "Because I don't ever want to let you go."

Joseph smiled at her and kissed her lips softly. It had been 3 days since they had last been in the boot room together, so their lack of stolen moments had increased their want for one another. They had sat next to each other in the Servant's Hall, but that's not exactly the place for stolen moments. When Phyllis broke the kiss, she looked into Joseph's eyes. She smiled lightly at the look of adoration he gave her. "You're going to have to let me go eventually, otherwise, I may get sacked and while you're very much worth it Phyllis, I would like to keep my job," Joseph said, backing Phyllis against the table adn pressing his lips to her's.

Phyllis broke the kiss after a moment and smiled against Joseph's lips. "Darling, I really think you should bring them up their tea, before they decide that their tea isn't coming and begin to really occupy themselves," she said, giving him the look she always did when she didn't wish to elaborate on exactly what she meant. Joseph smiled and raised his eyebrows at Phyllis.

"I'll be right back," he said. "And then I want to hear about why I've been luckier than you in life."

He smiled at Phyllis and left her with a look of fear on her face. Twenty minutes later, when Joseph returned, Phyllis still looked absolutely terrified of telling him of her past. She could not have him knowing, he would certainly cast her off and never speak to her again. She would lose the most important person in her entire life. The only person since her mother that made her feel completely wanted. Joseph walked into the boot room and approached Phyllis who was now sitting on one of the chairs, sobbing silently. Joseph only knew that she was sobbing because of the fact that her whole body was shaking. He hurried the rest of the way toward her, kneeling in front of her, touching her shoulders. "Phyllis, dearest. What is the matter?" he asked. "Please tell me."

Phyllis looked up into Joseph's eyes with her red eyes. Her cheeks were tear streaked, and she looked terrified. "I'm not ready to tell you yet," she said. "I don't want to disgust you because of my past. It's so horrible and I don't want you to leave me, you're everything I have. And if other people find out, you'll be judged and hated, and I can not stand the thought of me being the cause of people hating you." Phyllis resumed crying and she fell forward onto Joseph's shoulder.

"Tell me Phyllis. I could never hate you or judge you in any way. I love you," he said, leaning in to her and kissing her gently. "I'd never abandon you Phyllis. Not even if it was the only way to save my own life. I love you far too much."

Phyllis looked up into Joseph's eyes, and knowing that he was telling her the truth. She smiled and began to speak. "My childhood was horrible. My family was poor, and my father was often angry and took it out on my mother. Then when I was thirteen, she was murdered, probably by my father, then I left home when I was 14 because I couldn't take the abuse anymore.

"I nearly starved to death on the streets until a man thought I was a prostitute and at the time, it seemed the only way to stay alive. It worked until I was 17 and one of those men got me pregnant and I simply knew that I could not keep the baby. That's how I met Mr. Barrow. He helped me find a couple who would take the baby.

"When I was 18, I started working as a housemaid in a nice home. A few years later though, the Lord of the house found out about my past and he took advantage of me until I finally left at the beginning of the war. I found a different job then, but when the soldiers came home at the end of the war I had to leave. From that time until I came here, I simply did nothing except odd jobs and I couldn't possibly support myself and so I wrote to Mr. Barrow and I got my job here, under one condition. He would keep the secret of my past if I did his bidding, but since then I have turned my back on him and he has not yet told His Lordship or Her Ladyship, nor has he told Mr. Carson or Mrs. Hughes about me."

Joseph looked at her as she told him. She had been right. He was quite lucky compared to her and honestly, he should realize that just because you fall in the world, doesn't mean you can't rise again. Phyllis' eyes dropped to the floor until Joseph put his fingers under her chin and lifting her head. "Phyllis," he said, trying to look into her eyes. "Thank you for telling me this. I don't know why you would ever think I could turn my back on you because of that. Honestly. You did what you did to survive and without that, we wouldn't know each other. And I wouldn't be nearly as happy as I am."

Phyllis looked up into his eyes and smiled. "Joseph, you're not mad that if we do get married and make love, I won't be completely yours?" she asked.

"No, because you'll still be mine," he said. "Right?"

"Of course Joseph," she replied, cupping his face in her hands and kissing him with the most amazing passion.


	3. Chapter 3

**PART THREE**

Joseph Molesley was happy; happy and lucky in love. It was his first time feeling like this and he thoroughly enjoyed it. He entered the Servant's Hall for breakfast, and he sat next to the source of his happiness, Miss Phyllis Baxter, who smiled and touched his hand on top of the table. They didn't need to hide their relationship; there were two other servant couples in Downton Abbey. Carson and Mrs. Hughes, and Mr. Bates and Anna. Still, some of the other servants were shocked at the relationship the two of them had. Thomas and Jimmy had been exceptionally cruel about the whole thing. Phyllis had turned her back on Thomas, even though he had threatened to reveal her past to Mr. Carson and Mrs. Hughes, but Phyllis had become a better maid to Lady Grantham because of it. Joseph smiled at her and with his other hand, he slipped a note onto her lap before starting to eat his breakfast. Phyllis looked down and smiled at her lap, eager to read Joseph's note. She finished her breakfast and left the Servant's Hall when Her Ladyship rang (His Lordship was upstairs with her, there was a special kind of ring for those mornings) to bring their breakfasts upstairs. On her way to the kitchen to get their breakfast tray, she opened the note:

Phyllis, after everyone has gone to bed tonight, meet me in the boot room.

x Joseph

She looked at the note in shock before putting it into her pocket and retrieving the breakfast tray (after getting Mrs. Patmore to add some food and such for Lord Grantham) to bring upstairs.

Joseph was nervously sitting in the Servant's Hall after Phyllis left. He was nervous as to how she would react to his note. He didn't want her to think the wrong thing and never spea to him again. He really only wanted to talk and such without others overhearing. Once he saw her at the top of the stairs, he held his breath. "Of course I will," she whispered as she walked past and touched his hand briefly. Joseph exhaled and turned around to smile after her. For the rest of the day, Phyllis and Joseph did their duty, waiting for night to fall. Once Mr Carson had gone up to bed after his final rounds, Phyllis and Joseph slipped into the boot room.

"I've missed you," Joseph said, pulling her into his arms, holding her there. So much for just talking to her in here. He couldn't help it, she was beautiful and he had wanted her all day. He had watched her all day as she did her work. He knew she had been watching him as well.

"I missed you too," she whispered against his lips, moving him back against the table. "Honestly, I missed you and I can't help but want you."

"Phyllis," he gasped against her lips. "You don't mean..."

"Well, yes, I would with you, if you wanted. But if you want to wait, that's fine too," she said.

"Only if you're sure that you want to. I don't want it to seem like I'm pressuring you into this," he said. "You have been before and I don't want to force you and become just as bad as those men."

"I would never think of you like that, Joseph. I love you and you'd never forced me. You never, ever would do anything like that. You're too kind. You're a good man," she said. "But if you don't want to, I understand. I'm damaged goods."

"Phyllis, I would never consider you damaged goods. Let's do it and not care if anyone finds out. I love you too and as long as you love me, I will be here to hold you and love you darling," he whispered, dipping down to kiss her neck. Phyllis' head fell back as she gripped Joseph's head right before he stopped. "I can't do this."

"Yes, we can," Phyllis replied.

"No, I meant, I can't do it here in the Boot Room. I'd never be able to come in here without wanting you in my arms again," he said. "I think we should take this somewhere else."

"Where?" she asked, gasping for breath. "Table of the Servant's Hall? Mrs. Hughes' parlour? Mr. Carson's pantry?"

"I was thinking your bed," he whispered. "Since I share a room with James."

"But Joseph, if we're caught..." she began.

"If we're caught anywhere we'd still be sacked," he said. "You're right, we can't do this. I won't risk you losing your job because of me."

"And I won't have you losing yours because of me," she said.

"I would never blame you for anything," he whispered. "I love you."

"And I wouldn't blame you either, because I love you too," she whispered, sealing her promise with a kiss.


	4. Chapter 4

**PART FOUR**

**Author's Note: I just wanted to say thank you for all your support everyone on my made up back story for Baxter. In _The London Season _Thomas did make whatever he has on Baxter sound quite horrible, but I honestly don't want her to be a former prostitute or anything that I said. Because of the fact that I love her and we saw how Mr. Carson reacted when he found out about Ethel. Anyway, Ethel is mentioned in this chapter.**

Mr. Carson and Mrs. Hughes entered the Servant's Hall the next morning with Thomas. Two of them looked angry, the other looked particularly smug. Phyllis and Joseph were sitting next to one another. "Miss Baxter, Mr. Molesley," Mr. Carson said. "After breakfast, Mrs. Hughes and I need to have a word with the two of you, my pantry."

Phyllis and Joseph exchanged looks of horror. "Yes, Mr. Carson," they both said, suddenly turned off of their breakfasts, too worried to eat, especially with Mr. Barrow grinning from across the table. Once Mr. Carson finished eating, he and Mrs. Hughes stood, leaving the hall, Baxter and Molesley following at their heels. Carson shut the door, gesturing for Baxter and Molesley to sit after he sat down at his desk, Mrs. Hughes by his side.

"Is there a problem, Mr. Carson?" Phyllis asked. "Has Mr. Barrow told you something?"

"Yes, he has, and apparently, Mr. Molesley has been told as well," Mr. Carson said, looking at Phyllis.

"Is it about my past?" she asked nervously. _That bastard, _Joseph thought.

"It is," Mrs Hughes said. "And we're not judging you, everyone makes mistakes."

"Ethel made that mistake and we cast her off," Mr. Carson replied.

"Because it happened here, Mr. Carson," Mrs Hughes said, staring at him.

"That's true," he replied, looking back to Phyllis. "Is it true that you were once a prostitute?" Phyllis looked down and nodded.

"I couldn't stay at home anymore, my father was abusing me, physically, sexually, my mother was dead, likely by his hand and I had to get out. It's all behind me now," she cried, almost falling into Joseph's arms. He put his arm around her, protectively. He would protect her from anything and everything. Anything that threatened to hurt her, he would shield her from.

Mr. Carson and Mrs. Hughes looked at her. "We didn't realize that you were being abused," Mrs. Hughes finally said, walking around the desk to touch Phyllis' arm.

"That certainly changes things," Mr. Carson said. "When you're ready, would you tell Mrs. Hughes and I exactly what happened? Because Mr. Barrow's version of the truth only discussed how you were a prostitute and you had a son."

"I'll tell you in a few minutes if you'd like," Phyllis replied. "I'll just calm down a little bit first."

"Alright, but only if you're ready," Mr. Carson said, Phyllis nodding. She took a deep breath and began telling them of her childhood, her adolescence, the baby, her former job as a maid where she had been raped by the Lord of the House, everything. Every so often, Mr. Carson would look at her sympathetically, toughing her shoulder lightly, as if trying to console her. Mrs. Hughes reacted similarly.

"I'm so sorry you had to go through all that," Mr. Carson said. "I really am. No one deserves that kind of life. But you're a good woman. Not many people who grew up in those circumstances can break away and have a chance at a good life. I'm proud of that. And that Lord who forced you, do you remember his name?"

"I do, why?" Phyllis asked.

"Well, I'm sure if I explained to his Lord-" Mr. Carson was cut off by Phyllis.

"NO," she screamed. "No, please no. I like it here. I like my job here. I don't want to have to leave."

"Lord Grantham wouldn't do anything like that," Mrs. Hughes said.

"I know, but what if he decides that I may be a corrupting influence?" she asked, her eyes filling with tears.

"He won't, he's quite protective of his staff. He may know this lord, and he'd certainly have a talk with the man about propriety," Mr. Carson said. "The indecency of forcing one of your maids to bed with you is atrocious."

"I can tell Lord Grantham in my own time," Phyllis requested. "I trust him, and that's why I must be the one to inform him."

"If you wish," Mr. Carson said. "You may both go. And could you ask Mr. Barrow to come here for a moment?"

"Yes, Mr. Carson," Joseph replied, leading Phyllis out. "Mr. Barrow, Mr. Carson and Mrs. Hughes need to have a word with you."

"Alright," he said, noticing that Phyllis was in tears.

A little while later, Mr. Barrow came out of Mr. Carson's pantry and left straight away for a cigarette. When he came back, he cornered Phyllis and Joseph who were standing and talking to one another.

"I hope you know you got me in trouble for not telling the entire story to Mr. Carson," he said. "I can ruin you, Miss Baxter, don't cross me."

"Back off," Joseph said, coming to Phyllis' defence again. "And stop bullying people just because you're bigger than they are and because you can."

"Fine, I'll deal with the two of you later," he said, walking off.


End file.
